__________________
Cities are the most extraordinary human creation. They are this phenomenon which has unbelievable capacity to solve problems, to innovate, to invent, to create prosperity, to make change and continually reform. - Ken Greenburg

As you may be aware, in February, Council approved plans for the Balsillie School of International Affairs, part of the Balsillie Centre of Excellence, to be located on the former Seagram's distillery site at Erb and Caroline streets. Under the leadership and direction of The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), the Balsillie Centre of Excellence will create resources and facilities to run programs of studies in partnership with the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and other universities in Canada and internationally.

The pyramid on this site was first erected in 1984 as a visual marker for the Seagram Museum. That pyramid was replaced in 1996 and while it holds no historical value, has become a local landmark for Waterloo.

Dismantling of the 770 barrels is expected to be a two-day process that will include an on-site evaluation by representatives of Canbar, formerly Waterloo-based Canada Barrels & Kegs.

Community Pick up Program:
Whole barrels that can be salvaged and reused will be stored in a City facility until a community project that ensures a continued presence in Waterloo for the barrels has been determined.

Damaged barrels and barrel parts that can not be salvaged will be diverted to a community pick up program during which residents are invited to visit the site and rummage through the dismantled hoops and staves to take remnants that can be reused.

Community pick up will take place on the CIGI site during the following times:

Wednesday, August 5 from noon until 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 6 between noon and 5:00 p.m.

Friday, August 7 from 9 a.m. until noon.

Pick up will be on a first come, first served basis and there is no guarantee on what will be available for distribution to the public. The amount and type of materials that will be available can not be determined until the dismantling and evaluation of the condition of the barrels begins. Any remaining material will be removed from the site following the community pick up.

WATERLOO — Mike Schneider loaded hefty tokens of Waterloo’s history, and his family’s, onto the flatbed of his truck Wednesday.

He was one of many area residents eagerly rolling away barrels as the pyramid on the former Seagram’s distillery site in downtown Waterloo was dismantled.

“My dad worked here. He used to make these things,” Schneider said of his father Ken, who was a cooper.

“He used to pound the hoops down on the barrel.”

Schneider was taking his six barrels to his nearby townhouse on Euclid Street, where they’ll have some sort of decorative use still not certain to Schneider.

“They’ll look pretty cool in the rec room or maybe outside,” he said.

He just knew he had to have them, like many other people who gathered at the site long before the free community pickup began at noon. Some came early in the morning to mark the barrels they wanted. The first batch of barrels was just about all scooped up in less than half an hour, with cars lining up to load up the finds.

“I figured, take a piece of heritage home with us,” said Chris Detzler, who lifted six barrels into his truck with his wife Jessie Robinson-Detzler.

The couple planned to put the barrels in the backyard of their Kitchener home as planters or just as a rustic decoration.

“They’re not perfect, but it’s kind of neat having the antique look,” he said.

The barrels are being cleared out to make room for the Balsillie School of International Affairs, which is part of the Balsillie Centre of Excellence offering resources and facilities for programs run in partnership with the local universities and across Canada and worldwide.

The pyramid was built in 1984 to mark the Seagram Museum, then replaced in 1996. Authentic heritage barrels are on display in the Centre for International Governance at the corner of Erb and Caroline streets, while those in the pyramid have no historic value, other than as a local landmark.

“There’s a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in the barrels,” said Karen VandenBrink, heritage resources manager for the City of Waterloo.

Experts from Canbar, formerly the Waterloo-based Canada Barrels and Kegs, are checking out the close to 800 barrels to pick out those in good shape that will be stored to be used later for a community art project. Damaged barrels and parts are up for grabs.

Dismantling the pyramid is scheduled to finish today. Community pickup will continue today between noon and 5 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, while the barrels last.

Kitchener resident Dennis Day was surprised by the crowd gathered for the barrel giveaway.

“I didn’t expect this many people to be here,” said Day, who was trying to get four barrels into his minivan.

Ryan Mounsey, development planner and urban designer for Waterloo, expected a lot of interest considering all the calls from people anxious to have a piece of the pyramid.

“They all cited sentimental reasons,” Mounsey said. “It’s not so much the quality, it’s just to have the object.”

Glenn and Pat Pascoe of Waterloo just happened to be driving by when the pickup began, and lucky for them.

“We wanted one for a while,” Pat said.

They grabbed two with the intention of cutting the wooden barrels in half to make planters for their cottage.

They already have three windows from old Seagram building, “so it will be neat to have the barrels as well,” Pat said.

“It’s nice to have some heritage from Waterloo. We’ve lived here now for 45 years.”

Don't have too many details but folks at Casa Mia have told me that there has developed an issue with the soil...it seems that they have discovered soil contamination...thus the delay in construction ...until all is cleaned up...construction to be delayed until the spring

__________________I'd rather be homeless than live in a condo...but I do like watching attractive ones get built...like Woodwards, 42 in Waterloo, and anything by Daoust/Saucier+Perotte/Nomade/aA/Teeple